Released in 1999 as Warner Bros. brought Pokémon to American theaters, this trailer marks the franchise's leap from television and trading cards into a full theatrical event. The craze was at its commercial peak, and the promotional reel circulated widely in advance of Pokémon: The First Movie, building anticipation among a generation introduced to these creatures through Nintendo's games and the animated series. Trailer prints from this run are scarce today, as most were returned or destroyed after their theatrical use, making surviving 35mm segments a direct physical link to that marketing campaign.
This cell, cataloged as Pokémon Group, gathers five creatures known to any collector of the era: Hitmonlee, Rhyhorn, Venusaur, Sandslash, and Scyther. Each had its own following from the games and card sets, and seeing them assembled together speaks to the trailer's purpose of showcasing the breadth of the Pokémon roster to a theater audience. A trailer cell like this functioned as a teaser frame, meant to stir recognition and excitement rather than advance plot. For collectors, this grouping represents a snapshot of the franchise's early promotional identity, with five distinct and desirable characters sharing a single frame of film history.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm release print of the Pokémon: The Movie (1999) trailer.
Gauge
35mm: four perforations per frame along both edges, and the strip holds four complete frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, evenly spaced, rounded-rectangle punches, cleanly cut with no tears or missing holes seen.
Soundtrack
A two-track variable-area optical soundtrack runs beside the picture, with Dolby Digital data blocks in the gaps between the lower perforations; no DTS or SDDS visible.
Edge print
Edge print reads, mirrored, "2383 187 341 1 30 KODAK 28 1999 L", with a square mark at one end.
Base & colour
Clear base with a faint blue-green tint along the edges; dye image looks saturated and neutral, with no obvious fading or colour shift.
Projection history
Not visible in this capture
Picture
Positive image; the four frames run consecutively as one near-static shot of the same grouped subjects, consistent with the Pokémon film on record.
Era check
Kodak 2383 print stock, 1999 date code, and analog-plus-Dolby Digital sound match a late-1990s 35mm release print of this trailer.
Read from the original intake capture shown below. Observations only — film is authenticated, not graded.
This original motion picture film element has been examined and authenticated by Crown Grading in partnership with National Film Vault, and encapsulated for archival preservation.
Why so little survivesRelease prints were leased to theaters, not sold. When the run ended they went back to the distributor to be destroyed, and most were. What collectors hold today came from the prints that escaped that order, and no new 35mm prints of these films are being struck.
CROWN SERIAL 000070181
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
